Cheesy and crunchy Goldfish crackers are a beloved snacking favorite, so it makes sense that many parents wonder when they can feed them to their babies.
While Goldfish crackers have a hard exterior, they melt in the mouth and are a good finger food option for infants who are at least nine months old and are developmentally ready for finger foods.
However, Goldfish crackers are also high in sodium and calories and low in nutritional value. Therefore, Goldfish crackers should be fed to babies in moderation.
Let’s dive into more information regarding Goldfish crackers and how and when to feed them to your infant safely.
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When Can You Give Babies Goldfish Crackers?
Since Goldfish crackers are classified as finger food, they should not be introduced into a baby’s diet until they are at least nine months old and developmentally ready (source: Nemours Children’s Health).
In the finger foods stage, babies enjoy touching and holding their foods. They will begin to feed themselves and develop their hand-eye coordination as well as their fine motor skills (source: National Health Service).
Goldfish crackers are also great options for baby-led weaning once your baby reaches nine months of age. Goldfish are a popular snack favorite for toddlers, with their cheesy flavor and crunchy texture.
Like all new foods, if your baby doesn’t seem to like Goldfish at the first couple feedings, you can continue to offer them (source: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia). Sometimes it simply takes a few attempts for a baby to accept a new food.
Additionally, always offer one food at a time to ensure you are aware of any adverse or allergic reactions and are able to trace them to a specific food.
Are Goldfish Crackers a Choking Hazard?
While Goldfish crackers do have a slightly hard texture, they are very thin crackers that tend to melt in the mouth when they are sucked on. Since they melt in the mouth, they are safe for most babies around age nine months or older (source: Nemours Children’s Health).
If you are still worried about Goldfish crackers as a choking hazard, you could moisten the crackers slightly with formula milk or breastmilk to make them a bit softer before feeding.
Are Goldfish Crackers Healthy for Babies?
Goldfish are a safe choice for babies, but they are not very nutritious. They have little nutritional value, with low amounts of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Goldfish crackers also tend to be high in sodium and calories. For reference, a 26-gram serving of regular-flavored Goldfish crackers contains 190 milligrams of sodium and 120 calories (source: United States Department of Agriculture [USDA] FoodData Central).
Doctors recommend that you limit foods high in sodium for babies (source: American Heart Association).
You can feed Goldfish crackers to your child in moderation as an occasional snack. Just be sure to offer more nutritious foods and snacks such as soft-cooked vegetables and fruits, hardboiled eggs, or bits of avocado on a regular basis (source: National Health Service).
In summary, Goldfish are a great occasional snack for babies at least nine months old – just don’t overdo it!
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